1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to beverage dispensers and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a beverage dispensing valve assembly with an improved component configuration which actively regulates the rate of flow and resulting pressure of premix fluid that flows therethrough to prevent both the loss of carbonation and the excessive foaming of beverage dispensed.
2. Description of the Related Art
For over sixty years, beverage dispensers featuring premix dispensing valves have maintained a strong market presence. Premix beverage dispensers allow for the mixing of beverage flavored syrup with plain or carbonated water before the resulting premix fluid is delivered to a dispensing valve.
By contrast, beverage flavor syrup as well as plain and carbonated water in postmix beverage dispensers are separately introduced and ultimately mixed within a postmix valve. Postmix beverage dispensers require much of the beverage formation process to be "on-site" in that they require a desired beverage to be mixed by a postmix valve that is typically within a large, stationary postmix beverage dispenser and in that they commonly require a connection with a public water supply as a source for plain and/or carbonated water. By contrast, premix beverage dispensers dispense a final beverage product where the desired beverage is not produced on-site by the beverage dispenser but is, hence, "pre-mixed" before it is introduced to the premix beverage dispenser. As such, premix beverage dispensers are well suited for locations where water is either unavailable or unsatisfactory. This feature also makes premix dispensers highly portable and relatively smaller than postmix beverage dispensers, thus explaining their popularity at sporting and at other outdoor events.
In the past, premix dispensing valves were plagued with complications arising from great extremes in fluid pressure throughout the entire assembly. Typically, premix fluid enters the premix dispensing valve assembly at high pressures, e.g. 60-80 psi (gage); and exits the valve's nozzle near local atmospheric pressure, e.g. 0 psi (gage). Such a drop in pressure occurs over a short distance within the assembly and in a short period of time. Changes in pressure over time often result in carbon dioxide escaping from the carbonated premix fluid, typically through foaming action, or results in carbon dioxide being absorbed by the premix fluid.
In particular, by achieving such a large and rapid pressure drop, many premix dispensing valves in the past experienced unwanted foaming and loss of carbonation due to several primary factors. One such factor results from changes in ambient temperature throughout the day, which causes the pressure in the premix fluid to vary as the ambient temperature warms and cools the premix fluid. A second factor, commonly known as "shock" foaming, occurs when the dispensing valve initially opens and the internal pressure in the valve suddenly drops from a high static pressure to near atmospheric pressure which causes carbon dioxide gas to escape from the premix fluid and, thus, resulting in excessive and unwanted foaming.
As such, current premix dispensing valve assemblies feature compensators to prevent excessive foaming and loss of carbonation due to fluctuations in pressure. Specifically, premix fluid is subjected to a pressure drop as it passes through the smooth and narrow inner surfaces of a compensator and, thus, results in less foaming and little loss of carbon dioxide. However, foaming and loss of carbonation continue to remain as major complications with current premix dispensing valves because such valves lack the ability to interact with and adjust for large and/or rapid changes in pressure as the premix fluid enters the compensator. Compensators, thus, fail to actively compensate for these changes in pressure which often leads to periodic foaming and loss of carbonation.
It is equally disturbing that current dispensing valves cannot be easily adjusted or reset when subjected to large and/or rapid changes in pressure. Adjusting for pressure involves keeping the dispensing valve open with one hand while the other hand adjusts a screw that is positioned within a threaded passageway. The threaded passageway, in turn, links the interior passageways within the assembly, through which premix fluid flows, with the exterior surface of the dispensing valve housing.
Specifically, turning the screw allows for the position of the compensator, within the interior passageways, to be varied. Variation of the compensator's position within the interior passageways, thus, allows for the adjustment of pressure within a current premix dispensing valve assembly. In short, adjusting for significant changes in pressure or resetting pressure after disassembling the dispensing valve assembly is often time consuming and laborious. Moreover, because it is very difficult to adjust for changes in pressure, the ability for current premix dispensing valves to actively control the effects of excessive foaming or loss of carbonation is nonexistent.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a premix beverage dispensing valve assembly that, without manual adjustment, actively adjusts for significant changes in pressure and resulting changes in the rate of flow of the premix fluid that flows through the assembly so as to prevent foaming and loss of carbonation of the dispensed beverage.